PHOTOXENS concerns the sector of dairy production, a most important wealth resource, and, in particular, focuses on the safety of dairy product and aims to provide innovative solutions for the detection of dangerous mycotoxins and dioxins.
The market globalization of animal foodstuffs and the inability to effectively control the quality and the conditions of transportation endanger contamination of food products and it is a major risk for public health. The European Commission revised the regulations (EU 1881/2006) and set even stricter limits to the maximum levels of dangerous substances, by taking into account recent research results and new developments of the Codex Alimentarius. The extremely dangerous carcinogenic aflatoxin AFB1 is produced by fungi Αspergillus, Flavus in animal foodstuff stored or transported under high humidity conditions. Consumption of contaminated food by dairy livestock results in the production of aflatoxin AFM1 which is tolerant to high pasteurization (UHT). In addition, dangerous dioxins, products of industrial activity, are distributed in the food chain via obscured and illegal routes, thus also presenting a very treacherous danger.
Conventional random tests performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), gas chromatography-flame ionization detection, (GC-FID), or ELISA and microstrip testing is not possible to deployed in a large scale, due to high cost and complexity. The need for new user-friendly sensing methods by use of innovative instrumentation and practices is very urgent.
Central goal of the proposed project is the production of a reliable, user-friendly and relatively low-cost sensor instrument for monitoring aflatoxin AFM1 and dioxin classes PCDD, PCB, etc., with the aim to be widely deployed in dairy industry or farming units in the country enabling the direct and continuous monitoring of the products and protecting public health.
The innovative system PHOTOXENS establishes a new class of sensors for global application, based on forefront technologies of photonics, biochemistry and molecular biology, in which the University of Patras has a world lead. It is categorized among the diffractive sensors employing distributed feedback, sensitized for the detection of dangerous toxins AFM1 and dioxins. The selectivity of molecular trapping is undertaken by special biosensors embodying aptamers (DNA or RNA) with strong affinity to the specific toxins. As a result, the optical resonance characteristics are altered and detected by the waveguided laser beam. The system is integrated by use of optofluidics platform, to form a lab-on-chip device, and appropriate optoelectronic units to produce a preindustrial prototype. The interdisciplinary methodology covers all aspects of research required, making use of available nano-imprinting and laser methods to fabricate the photonic platform, the chemical modification of surfaces and the development of dioxin aptamer traps, to the integration of devices and prototype instrumentation.
This action is a mature product of collaboration between the interdisciplinary team of the University of Patras and ANALYSIS SA specializing in dairy products. It targets to upgrade the quality control in the production floor by providing accurate and reliable detection of dangerous toxins. Simultaneously, it satisfies the constant demand of dairy industry for accurate monitoring of raw farming products at their source. PHOTOXENS innovation not only will enhance the quality of dairy production and will protect the consuming population, but will also bring additional economic benefits with the local production of high technology and high added value instrumentation with worldwide commercial impact.